Martin Luther King Assassination Witness Clara Ester Speaks Out, 50 Years Later | NBC Nightly News

MILES PER HOUR. >> SNOW YESTERDAY, NOW THIS BUSY WEATHER >> SNOW YESTERDAY, NOW THIS BUSY WEATHER WEEK. THIS BUSY WEATHER WEEK. THANKS VERY MUCH. WEEK. THANKS VERY MUCH. >>> MANY NOTABLE THANKS VERY MUCH. >>> MANY NOTABLE FIGURES FROM THE CIVIL >>> MANY NOTABLE FIGURES FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ARE FIGURES FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ARE AMONG THOSE DESCENDING RIGHTS MOVEMENT ARE AMONG THOSE DESCENDING ON MEMPHIS TONIGHT, AMONG THOSE DESCENDING ON MEMPHIS TONIGHT, THE EVE OF THE 50th ON MEMPHIS TONIGHT, THE EVE OF THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE THE EVE OF THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATION OF ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ASSASSINATION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. A WOMAN WHO WITNESSED MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. A WOMAN WHO WITNESSED THE SHOOTING AND A WOMAN WHO WITNESSED THE SHOOTING AND RUSHED TO KINGS SIDE THE SHOOTING AND RUSHED TO KINGS SIDE SPOKE TO ME ABOUT THAT RUSHED TO KINGS SIDE SPOKE TO ME ABOUT THAT NIGHT IN HER FIRST SPOKE TO ME ABOUT THAT NIGHT IN HER FIRST NETWORK TV INTERVIEW. NIGHT IN HER FIRST NETWORK TV INTERVIEW. >> RIGHT OF MIDDLE OF NETWORK TV INTERVIEW. >> RIGHT OF MIDDLE OF THAT PARKING LOT, DR. >> RIGHT OF MIDDLE OF THAT PARKING LOT, DR. KING COMES OUT HIS THAT PARKING LOT, DR. KING COMES OUT HIS ROOM. KING COMES OUT HIS ROOM. AND HE STARTS CHATTING ROOM. AND HE STARTS CHATTING TO EVERYTHING DOWN AND HE STARTS CHATTING TO EVERYTHING DOWN LOW. TO EVERYTHING DOWN LOW. HAPPY AS A LARK, LOW. HAPPY AS A LARK, LAUGHING ABOUT STUFF. HAPPY AS A LARK, LAUGHING ABOUT STUFF. >> JUST KIND OF LAUGHING ABOUT STUFF. >> JUST KIND OF INFORMAL. >> JUST KIND OF INFORMAL. >> YES. INFORMAL. >> YES. >> INTERACTION WITH >> YES. >> INTERACTION WITH THE CROWD. >> INTERACTION WITH THE CROWD. >> YES. THE CROWD. >> YES. >> Reporter: CLARA >> YES. >> Reporter: CLARA ESTHER WAS A COLLEGE >> Reporter: CLARA ESTHER WAS A COLLEGE JUNIOR AT THE TIME. ESTHER WAS A COLLEGE JUNIOR AT THE TIME. SHE AND FRIENDS HAD JUNIOR AT THE TIME. SHE AND FRIENDS HAD COME TO THE LORRAINE SHE AND FRIENDS HAD COME TO THE LORRAINE MOTEL FOR A CATFISH COME TO THE LORRAINE MOTEL FOR A CATFISH DINNER AWARE THAT KING MOTEL FOR A CATFISH DINNER AWARE THAT KING WAS STAYING THERE. DINNER AWARE THAT KING WAS STAYING THERE. >> IM STANDING THERE WAS STAYING THERE. >> IM STANDING THERE LOOKING UP AT THIS >> IM STANDING THERE LOOKING UP AT THIS GREAT GIANT IN MY LOOKING UP AT THIS GREAT GIANT IN MY LIFE. GREAT GIANT IN MY LIFE. AND WHAT SOUNDED LIKE LIFE. AND WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A TRUCK BACKFIRING. AND WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A TRUCK BACKFIRING. BUT I NEVER TOOK MY A TRUCK BACKFIRING. BUT I NEVER TOOK MY EYES OFF OF HIM. BUT I NEVER TOOK MY EYES OFF OF HIM. I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY EYES OFF OF HIM. I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY GET DOWN, GET DOWN. I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY GET DOWN, GET DOWN. BUT I SAW HIM BEING GET DOWN, GET DOWN. BUT I SAW HIM BEING LIFTED UP AND THROWN BUT I SAW HIM BEING LIFTED UP AND THROWN BACK. LIFTED UP AND THROWN BACK. LESTER, I CANT TELL BACK. LESTER, I CANT TELL YOU HOW MY LITTLE FEET LESTER, I CANT TELL YOU HOW MY LITTLE FEET GOT UP TO THAT YOU HOW MY LITTLE FEET GOT UP TO THAT BALCONY. GOT UP TO THAT BALCONY. BUT I REMEMBER BALCONY. BUT I REMEMBER STEPPING OVER HIS BODY BUT I REMEMBER STEPPING OVER HIS BODY TO WHERE THE WOUND STEPPING OVER HIS BODY TO WHERE THE WOUND WAS. TO WHERE THE WOUND WAS. I CHECKED FOR A PULSE. WAS. I CHECKED FOR A PULSE. WHICH WAS JUST I CHECKED FOR A PULSE. WHICH WAS JUST LITERALLY NO BEAT AT WHICH WAS JUST LITERALLY NO BEAT AT ALL. LITERALLY NO BEAT AT ALL. >> Reporter: CLARAS ALL. >> Reporter: CLARAS PRESENCE IS NOTED IN >> Reporter: CLARAS PRESENCE IS NOTED IN THE FBIS REPORT. PRESENCE IS NOTED IN THE FBIS REPORT. THE STILL PHOTOS OF THE FBIS REPORT. THE STILL PHOTOS OF THAT EVENING CAPTURE THE STILL PHOTOS OF THAT EVENING CAPTURE ONLY PARTIAL IMAGES OF THAT EVENING CAPTURE ONLY PARTIAL IMAGES OF HER. ONLY PARTIAL IMAGES OF HER. ONE SHE DISCOVERED HER. ONE SHE DISCOVERED ONLY RECENTLY AT THE ONE SHE DISCOVERED ONLY RECENTLY AT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM. ONLY RECENTLY AT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM. >> IT SHOWS ME ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM. >> IT SHOWS ME ON THE BALCONY. >> IT SHOWS ME ON THE BALCONY. A CLEAR SHOT. BALCONY. A CLEAR SHOT. OF MY BACK. A CLEAR SHOT. OF MY BACK. >> Reporter: BUT THE OF MY BACK. >> Reporter: BUT THE MOST SEARING IMAGES OF >> Reporter: BUT THE MOST SEARING IMAGES OF THAT NIGHT ARE IN HER MOST SEARING IMAGES OF THAT NIGHT ARE IN HER MEMORIES. THAT NIGHT ARE IN HER MEMORIES. >> HE HAD THE MOST MEMORIES. >> HE HAD THE MOST PLEASANT EXPRESSION ON >> HE HAD THE MOST PLEASANT EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE. PLEASANT EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE. HIS EYES WERE OPEN. HIS FACE. HIS EYES WERE OPEN. AND, YOU KNOW, THE HIS EYES WERE OPEN. AND, YOU KNOW, THE NIGHT BEFORE HE HAD AND, YOU KNOW, THE NIGHT BEFORE HE HAD SEEN THE MOUNTAINTOP. NIGHT BEFORE HE HAD SEEN THE MOUNTAINTOP. >> IVE SEEN THE SEEN THE MOUNTAINTOP. >> IVE SEEN THE PROMISED LAND. >> IVE SEEN THE PROMISED LAND. I MAY NOT GET THERE PROMISED LAND. I MAY NOT GET THERE WITH YOU. I MAY NOT GET THERE WITH YOU. BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW WITH YOU. BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW TONIGHT THAT WE AS A BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW TONIGHT THAT WE AS A PEOPLE WILL GET TO THE TONIGHT THAT WE AS A PEOPLE WILL GET TO THE PROMISED LAND. PEOPLE WILL GET TO THE PROMISED LAND. >> AND THAT WAS ALL PROMISED LAND. >> AND THAT WAS ALL PLAYING OVER IN MY >> AND THAT WAS ALL PLAYING OVER IN MY HEAD. PLAYING OVER IN MY HEAD. I MAY NOT GET THERE HEAD. I MAY NOT GET THERE WITH YOU. I MAY NOT GET THERE WITH YOU. I MAY NOT GET THERE WITH YOU. I MAY NOT GET THERE WITH YOU. I MAY NOT GET THERE WITH YOU. OUR KING HAD BEEN WITH YOU. OUR KING HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY. OUR KING HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY. BUT AMAZINGLY, AND WE TAKEN AWAY. BUT AMAZINGLY, AND WE TALK ABOUT THAT DREAM.

Channel: NBC News

Views: 9,420

Keywords: NBC Nightly News, Nightly News, NBC, Lester Holt, NBC News, U.S. News, martin luther king jr, martin luther king assassination, martin luther king black history, martin luther king junior, martin luther king jr story, martin luther king story, Lorraine Motel, clara ester, clara ester interview, clara ester mlk, clara ester martin luther king jr, mlk memphis hotel, mlk assassination, mlk assassination footage, mlk assassination documentary, mlk assassination reaction

Id: WbZbRBMxpCA

Length: 3min 6sec (186 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 04 2018